Oil and air separator system and method

ABSTRACT

An oil and air separator includes a first housing including a central chamber therein, the central chamber divided into a first outer portion and a second inner portion by a barrier; a filter material disposed between the first outer portion and the second inner portion; a cap directly coupled to the first housing, the cap including a first lumen therethrough, the first lumen including a first end disposed at the second inner portion; an extension portion including a second lumen therethrough; and a coupler removably coupling the cap and the extension portion.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of, and relates and claimspriority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/496,058, filed on Apr.25, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,233,802 issued on Mar. 19, 2019.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The invention relates generally to engine positive crankcase ventilation(PCV) systems and methods for recycling blow-by gases through a PCVvalve into the engine's intake manifold, and more particularly in oneexemplary embodiment, to systems and methods including a clean-side oiland air separator system for removal of crankcase oil from blow-by gasesin the recycling system upstream of the intake manifold.

BACKGROUND

In a combustion engine, blow-by gases typically include unburnedgasoline. That is, an amount of air and unburned gasoline from theengine cylinder is pulled past the piston rings and into the crankcase.Instead of exhausting such blow-by gases to the atmosphere, a positivecrankcase ventilation (PCV) system recycles the blow-by gases through aPCV valve into the engine's intake manifold. Such recycling occurs whenthe engine is operating at relatively slow speeds (e.g. idling), i.e.,when the air pressure in the crankcase is higher than the air pressurein the intake manifold.

One problem associated with PCV systems and their use involves oilvapors. An engine's crankcase is used to store oil. A pan located belowthe crankshaft holds oil, and generally oil vapors from the oil in thepan may find their way into the blow-by gases.

It is undesirable for oil to be recycled with blow-by gases into anengine's intake manifold. Such oil may degrade engine performance bylowering the overall octane of the combustion mixture in a cylinder.Such oil also may coat the air intake and prevent airflow.

To combat the presence of oil in blow-by gases, “dirty-side” oil and airseparators were developed to remove the oil from the blow-by gasesbefore recirculation through the PCV valve and into the intake manifold.However, when the air pressure in the crankcase is higher than the airpressure in the intake manifold, it is also possible that blow-by gaseswill travel upstream (or backwards) into the “clean-side” assembly thatleads from the PCV valve to the intake manifold.

There are various different models or types of oil and air separatorsavailable. One popular type of oil and air separator involves passingoily blow-by gases through a filter material. The oil collects indroplets on the filter material, which may be held in place by a screen.The oil is allowed to drop into the bottom of a can where the oilcollects for later removal. This “can approach” to oil and airseparation is not without its drawbacks, however.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides oil and air separation systems andmethods. In one exemplary embodiment, an oil and air separator includes:(a) a first housing including a central chamber therein, the centralchamber divided into a first outer portion and a second inner portion bya barrier; (b) a filter material disposed between the first outerportion and the second inner portion; (c) a cap directly coupled to thefirst housing, the cap including a first lumen therethrough, the firstlumen including a first end disposed at the second inner portion; (d) anextension portion including a second lumen therethrough; and (e) acoupler removably coupling the cap and the extension portion. In analternate embodiment, a sensor such as an air flow sensor, may beprovided in combination with the oil and air separator.

Other benefits and advantages of the present disclosure will beappreciated from the following detailed description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a clean-sideoil and air separator.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of a clean-sideoil and air separator shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the exemplary embodiment of a clean-side oiland air separator shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of aclean-side oil and air separator shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an assembly view illustrating, among other things, theremovably coupling of the first housing and the second housing of theexemplary embodiment of a clean-side oil and air separator shown in FIG.1.

FIG. 6 is an assembly view of the coupler of the exemplary embodiment ofa clean-side oil and air separator shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an assembly view of the first housing of the exemplaryembodiment of a clean-side oil and air separator shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of an oiland air separator including an air flow sensor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention and various alternatives are described.Those skilled in the art will recognize, given the teachings herein,that numerous alternatives and equivalents exist which do not departfrom the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention not belimited by the description set forth herein or below.

One or more specific embodiments of the system and method will bedescribed below. These described embodiments are only exemplary of thepresent disclosure. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concisedescription of these exemplary embodiments, all features of an actualimplementation may not be described in the specification. It should beappreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation,as in any engineering or design project, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a developmenteffort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be aroutine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

Further, for clarity and convenience only, and without limitation, thedisclosure (including the drawings) sets forth exemplary representationsof only certain aspects of events and/or circumstances related to thisdisclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize, given the teachingsherein, additional such aspects, events and/or circumstances related tothis disclosure, e.g., additional elements of the devices described;events occurring related to clean-side oil and air separation; etc. Suchaspects related to this disclosure do not depart from the invention, andit is therefore intended that the invention not be limited by thecertain aspects set forth of the events and circumstances related tothis disclosure.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of aclean-side oil and air separator 10 including a first housing 20, asecond housing 30, and a coupler 40 removably connecting the firsthousing 20 and the second housing 30. The first housing 20 includes anair intake 50 including an air intake port 60. The air intake port 60receives recycled blow-by gases that have passed through a PCV valve.The second housing 30 includes a threaded portion 70 that enables thesecond housing 30 to serve as a direct replacement for a removableengine oil fill cap. An o-ring 75 may be positioned about the secondhousing 30 to help reduce the outward passage of fluids at the engineoil fill port. The second housing 30 also includes an opening 80 that isin direct fluid communication with an engine's intake manifold when thesecond housing 30 is removably installed at the engine's engine oil fillport. A continuous fluid pathway is disposed within the first housing20, the second housing 30, and the coupler 40 that extends between theair intake port 60 and the opening 80.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the first housing 20 includes a cap 90threadingly engaged with main body portion 100. An o-ring 110 may bepositioned between the cap 90 and the main body portion 100 to helpprevent the passage of fluids therebetween. The air intake 50 isthreadingly engaged with the main body portion 100, so that a continuousfluid pathway exists from air intake port 60, through lumen 120 includedwithin air intake 50, to a central chamber 130 disposed within firsthousing 20. A tubularly-shaped barrier or wall 140 is disposed withincentral chamber 130. A first end 150 of wall 140 is threadingly engagedto one end 160 of first housing 20. The wall 140 in effect divides thecentral chamber 130 into a first outer portion 170 and a second innerportion 180. A filter 190 separates outer portion 170 and inner portion180, so that all fluid flow between outer portion 170 and inner portion180 must pass through the filter 190. In one embodiment, the filter 190includes a coalescing filter. In another embodiment, the filter 190includes a screen. In another embodiment, the filter 190 includesstainless steel wool.

The cap 90 includes a lumen 200 therethrough. At one end, the lumen 200is in fluid communication with the central chamber 130 at inner portion180. At the opposite end, the lumen 200 is adapted to receive a portionof an extension 210 of second housing 30. The extension 210 may be agenerally tubularly-shaped member including a lumen 220 therethrough.The extension 210 may be threadingly engaged with the main body portion230 of second housing 30 at lumen 240 therethrough. Thus, a continuousfluid pathway is formed between opening 80 and port 60 through lumen240, lumen 220, lumen 200, chamber portion 180, filter 190, chamberportion 170, and lumen 120.

End 250 of cap 90 may be adapted to form, or join with, the coupler 40.The coupler 40 includes an assembly of parts that permits a portion ofextension 210 to be releasably received within lumen 200 of cap 90 atend 250. See FIG. 6. AMT or other style couplers may be used.

In accordance with the description herein, a method of oil and airseparation may include providing an oil and air separator including acoalescing filter material disposed within a fluid pathway through theseparator. The separator may include a first housing including thefilter material, a second housing adapted for connecting to an engineoil fill port, and a coupler removably coupling or joining the firsthousing and the second housing.

As shown in FIG. 8, an alternate embodiment of an oil and air separatorincluding a sensor 300 may be provided. The sensor may be positionedproximate the air intake port 60 of first housing 20. A continuous fluidpathway may extend from the sensor 300 to the air intake port 60 andbeyond. The sensor may be provided to measure one or more operatingcharacteristics of the PCV system. In an alternate embodiment, multiplesensors may be provided for the fluid pathway to monitor one or moreoperating characteristics. The sensor shown in FIG. 8 measures the airflow in the PCV system. The sensor is a variable voltage sensor in thata voltage varies as the air flow in the fluid pathway increases ordecreases. When an undesirable air flow is detected, the sensor mayindicate a signal via line 310 that is processed to turn on a vehicle's“check engine” light.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is onlyillustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modificationscan be devised by those skilled in the art having the benefit of thisdisclosure, without departing from the invention. Accordingly, theinvention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modificationsand variances.

Certain exemplary embodiments of the disclosure may be described. Ofcourse, the embodiments may be modified in form and content, and are notexhaustive, i.e., additional aspects of the disclosure, as well asadditional embodiments, will be understood and may be set forth in viewof the description herein. Further, while the invention may besusceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specificembodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and willbe described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that theinvention is not intended to be limited to the particular formsdisclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications,equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An oil and air separator including: (a) a firsthousing including a central chamber therein divided into a first outerportion and a second inner portion by a barrier; (b) a filter materialdisposed between the first outer portion and the second inner portion;(c) an extension including a lumen therethrough; and (d) a couplerdisposed between and removably coupling the first housing and theextension; wherein the first housing includes a cap including a firstlumen therethrough, the first lumen including a first end disposed atthe second inner portion, and a second end adapted to removably receivean end of the extension to create a fluid pathway from the lumen of theextension to the second inner portion; and (e) a sensor positionedproximate an air intake port of the first housing, the sensor in fluidcommunication with a fluid pathway extending from the air intake port tothe lumen of the extension.
 2. The oil and air separator of claim 1,wherein the filter material is a coalescing filter material.
 3. The oiland air separator of claim 2, wherein the coalescing filter materialincludes steel wool.
 4. The oil and air separator of claim 1, whereinthe sensor is a variable voltage sensor.
 5. The oil and air separator ofclaim 1, wherein the sensor is an air flow sensor.
 6. An oil and airseparator including: (a) a first housing including a central chambertherein, the central chamber divided into a first outer portion and asecond inner portion by a barrier; (b) a filter material disposedbetween the first outer portion and the second inner portion; (c) a capdirectly coupled to the first housing, the cap including a first lumentherethrough, the first lumen including a first end disposed at thesecond inner portion; (d) an extension portion including a second lumentherethrough; (e) a coupler removably coupling the cap and the extensionportion; and (f) a sensor positioned proximate an air intake port of thefirst housing, the sensor in fluid communication with a fluid pathwayextending from the air intake port to the second lumen of the extensionportion.
 7. The oil and air separator of claim 6, wherein the filtermaterial is a coalescing filter material.
 8. The oil and air separatorof claim 7, wherein the coalescing filter material includes steel wool.9. The oil and air separator of claim 6, wherein a continuous fluidpathway exists from the first outer portion and through the filtermaterial, and the first lumen to the second lumen.
 10. The oil and airseparator of claim 6, wherein the extension is threadingly engaged witha second housing.
 11. The oil and air separator of claim 6, wherein thecap is removably threadingly coupled to the first housing.
 12. The oiland air separator of claim 6, wherein a portion of the filter materialis held between the cap and the first housing.
 13. The oil and airseparator of claim 6, wherein the sensor is a variable voltage sensor.14. The oil and air separator of claim 13, wherein the sensor is an airflow sensor.
 15. An oil and air separator including: (a) a first housingincluding a central chamber therein, the central chamber divided into afirst outer portion and a second inner portion by a barrier; (b) afilter material disposed between the first outer portion and the secondinner portion; (c) a cap directly coupled to the first housing, the capincluding a first lumen therethrough, the first lumen including a firstend disposed at the second inner portion; (d) a sensor positionedproximate an air intake port of the first housing, the sensor in fluidcommunication with a fluid pathway extending from the air intake port tothe first lumen.
 16. The oil and air separator of claim 15, wherein thesensor is a variable voltage sensor.
 17. The oil and air separator ofclaim 15, wherein the sensor is an air flow sensor.